Bees are so very important to us! They help pollinate our wild plants and our food crops, and without them all nature would suffer.  

In the UK, we have one species of honey bee, 28 species of bumble bee, and about 240 species of solitary bee (which live on their own and not in hives).  Solitary bees are phenomenal pollinators. In fact, a single red mason bee can pollinate the same amount as 120 worker honey bees! 

What’s more, pollination isn’t just carried out by bees. There are also flies, beetles, wasps, butterflies, moths, thrips and more; myriad tiny creatures that transport pollen from flower to flower in search of food, and so make our crops bear fruit and wildflowers set seed. It is estimated that in the UK we have at least 1,600 insect pollinators! 

Learning about how we can better help our pollinators is an interesting, inspiring project.  

Have a go at turning a local bare patch of earth into a bee-friendly explosion of colour and wildflowers by making and throwing some seed bombs in spring or autumn. You will need clay, compost, wildflower seeds and an egg box.  Most bought clays have got plastic in them, so it's best to hunt for natural clay from the earth around you. 

Below are some photos of some solitary bee hotels which are also fun to make.   There is lots of information online to inspire us. 

 Early spring, when food can still be scarce, many of our birds are working incredibly hard and consuming huge amounts of energy in building strong and safe nests to raise their young.  

One of my favourite birds is the long-tailed tit.  Their nests are a wonder of nature; they are intricate and delicate and they couldn't do it without spiders! They make a dome-shaped pouch using moss which they stick together with hundreds of spider's webs. The spider's webs give the nest an elastic quality so that the nest grows as their baby chicks get bigger! The inside of the nest is very cosy, lined with up to 2,000 feathers collected from the ground or dead birds. In their effort to collect all the various materials they will fly between 600-700 miles!  

Whilst many people provide bird food and water in the gardens, we can also help our hard working birds survive by providing nesting materials in spring.

Have a go at making a bird nesting helper. You can use willow stems to make a simple nesting material holder (instructions to the left) or even try your hand at a rustic bushcraft basket (instructions below). Fill the baskets with lots of different types of nest material for different birds. 

We also love these spiral willow baskets which we make using pre-soaked dry willow, or simply have a go with some fresh bendy willow stems.  It doesn't matter if they snap a little, just keep going:)  Spiral willow bird feeder video